Falling
by j3ll3yb3an
Summary: Kushina Uzumaki struggles to accept Konoha as her home while dealing with certain people. Like Minato Namikaze. But somehow, they become friends and soon become something even more than friends. Blinded by love and war, how will the two stand against an unkown evil as it tears through the shinobi world with it's sharp talons?
1. Chapter 1

**Falling**

Their love slowly grew with each and every passing day, morphing into something even more beautiful as the world around them shifted. Blinded by love and war, how will they stand against an unknown evil as it tears through the shinobi world with its sharp talons?

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Part One: The Beginning

"Senpai."

Darkness permeated throughout the small, damp cave;; a small candle giving off a harsh orange glow as it clashed with the shadows, dancing and twirling in the black abyss. Wax dripped slowly onto the wooden table it sat upon, tarnishing the surface in a layer of molten residue.

Behind the table, a red cloaked figure hummed in response, turning to the masked shinobi before him.

"We found them. The ones we need."

In the small candle's light, the masked shinobi watched as the cloaked man smirked.

"Really?" he asked, opening his hand across the table in expectation. As if on cue, the masked figure handed over two folders.

The cloaked man opened the two folders up, his smile widening as he skimmed through the first few pages. "From Konoha, huh? Perfect.."

The man closed the files, setting them down on the desk with a satisfied smile. "The girl," he started, opening one of the drawers of his desk. "When will she be in Konoha?"

"Tomorrow morning."

The man chuckled, gently taking a small red crystal from the far back corner of the drawer.

"Send him over tomorrow afternoon, then. He will not harm them until I say so, understood?"

The ninja nodded. "Yes, senpai."

The man turned, crystal in hand, a gleam of... something in his eyes. "You are dismissed."

* * *

A little girl with red hair stood from afar, her face scrunched up in confusion.

Those other kids were playing ninja. Kushina Uzumaki was not familiar with that type of fūinjutsu. Actually, she wasn't quite sure if that even was fūinjutsu.

Across the playground, a tanned boy with a blond mess of spikes on top of his head dodged fake kunai, making strange hand signs and throwing paper shuriken. A pretty brunette, with her long dark hair pulled back into a Dutch braid, and what seemed like tattooed, upside down triangles under her eyes cursed loudly as one of his shurikens hit her arm. They all laughed as the girl huffed and stomped toward a bench.

Kushina frowned with disdain. She hated the Leaf's techniques. It was all too different and too... quick. There was no rhythm. No beat.

The complete opposite of the Whirlpool's way.

Where she came from, people seemed to dance as they dodged attacks and sealed the enemy, cutting battle time in half. The Uzumakis were well-paced and graceful. It was hypnotizing. Beautiful. Mysterious. But Konoha...

The more she watched her peers 'play', the more she felt... out of place; uncomfortable. Different, even. From her analysis of their fighting styles, she noticed that they all varied, but were somewhat similar in several critical ways.

They all fought with the intent to kill.

Not to mention clumsily.

Kushina bit her lip, furrowing her brows as she watched them, tugging at a few blades of grass beneath her fingertips.

She's was not stupid.. The redhead knew that the five Great Nations were at war, for some reason or another, and that they desperately needed more manpower. Shinobi.

'It isn't right,' she grumbled to herself, ripping a bit more grass from the earth with a satisfying tug. 'It looks like they enjoy killing.'

She frowned again, turning her attention to the dirty mess that was now covering her hands. 'Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way…'

Kushina had just arrived in Konoha yesterday morning, alongside a few other orphans from Whirlpool. They were never exactly told why they were brought here, apart from the ANBU prattling on about some sort of 'vacation' and how all the children would be staying at an orphanage..

Well, all the children except Kushina. She had to stay with her older brother, Minoru, and his family. From what little she could recall, they had been living in Konoha for quite a while now. The siblings were never really all that close; the man had left their family after his girlfriend became pregnant in search of a better life. Well, what he claimed was a better life. Kushina was only three at the time, and didn't really have any special memories of her brother other than little things her parents told her. Regardless, the sixteen year gap between the two was bound to cause problems at some point, she just knew it.

But, somehow, they seemed to have bonded earlier during breakfast. He was funny, passionate; strong, but kind. Yet, he still came off as the complete opposite of Kushina's late older siblings...

The redhead cursed, pushing herself up from the ground, dusting her yellow dress off, readjusting the green belt around her torso.

'Don't think of 'em, don't remember 'em.'

She pushed the memories of her departed family from her mind, tilting her head up towards the rapidly darkening sky, , the leaves in the tree above her allowing cracks of waning sunlight to graze her skin.. With a sigh, she took a step forward in an effort to watch the sun set.

Kushina's eyes twinkled as she noted the dash of pink, red, purple and blue blended with orange as the sun sat on the horizon. She had to admit, it was beautiful. But there was no crystal clear ocean for the dazzling sunset to reflect off of, as it was in Whirlpool. The girl sighed and fidgeted with the hem of her yellow kimono, mind drifting back off in a direction she would rather it didn't.

There was a small rattling sound from the playground. It sounded like someone was moving the cheap metal fence. She turned, expecting to see her classmates one more time. But she was surprised to see the blond boy from earlier, standing on the other side of the fence, alone, watching her with a questioning gaze.

Kushina made a face. What was he looking at?

After a while, the boy seemed to notice her staring back. His eyes widened, and she could see the deep blue of his irises from a shouting distance, quietly trying to determine whether or not he should run for his life. He quickly turned the other way, and Kushina managed to catch a glimpse of the red tinge peppering his face as he disappeared behind the building across the playground in a blond blur..

Kushina's eye twitched a bit as she felt heat rushing to her cheeks. 'Was he blushing?.. No, no. He couldn't be blushing.. Why would he blush? Maybe he's just embarrassed from being caught…'

She was a rather ugly eight year old. Far from cute, that much she acknowledged. And even farther from beautiful. Her red hair framed her chubby face in such an... odd way: much too bright and thick. It was the complete opposite from her mother's - more like thread than anything else. Mother's hair was straight and thin, but voluminous and beautiful. Her hair was always pulled into loose braids, cascading down her left shoulder or back. And the way her hair and complexion complimented her dark violet eyes...

She shook the images of her mother from her head, turning away from the playground. She also pushed the boy to the far corner of her brain, not wanting to dwell on some stupid peeping Tom.

* * *

Kushina chewed slowly on Yuuki's signature dish. Rice, barbecue,some vegetables. It was... Okay. But it wasn't mom's cooking. It didn't have that extra spice or chili that it needed. It wasn't made with 'love'.

'Or maybe, it just isn't Mom's.'

Reluctantly, Kushina chewed and swallowed it, forcing a smile when Yuuki and Minoru exchanged a few jokes with her, and talked about how they first met. It was cute and entertaining, but Kushina wasn't feeling it. She still felt out of place, uncomfortable. Although they were her siblings, her flesh and blood, they were complete strangers.

And their children were just… brats. They were, she had to admit, adorable and quiet at first. But all throughout dinner, the eldest - a five year-old named Masaru -flung small balls of rice and peas at Kushina's face when his parents weren't looking. He seemed to have cut it out when Kushina gave him the coldest glare she could muster, but that didn't stop him from sticking his tongue out at her before he visibly paled. The youngest, two year old, Kiko, cried and screamed when Kushina looked or touched her.

It took all of Kushina's strength to not snap and strangle them there and then.

The redhead shifts her gaze to her brother and Yuuki. The woman laughed with Minoru, her eyes crinkling. She had dirty blonde hair that stopped below her shoulders. Her eyes were a light shade of brown, and her lips were thin. Masaru looked a lot more like her, blonde hair, thin face and lips. Kiko, however, was a mix of Minoru and Yuuki, with chubby, pink cheeks, and red tufts of hair that was pulled into a small 'ponytail' with a white bow. But, like Masaru, she had a thin face and Yuuki's eyes.

"Kushina-chan," her brother started, setting his teacup down. Kushina snapped her head toward him. She squinted confusedly, locking her eyes with his. That's when she noticed that his eyes were a dark shade of brown, almost black, much to her surprise - with specks of grey and violet clustered around the pupil. They greatly contrasted against his shaggy, light red hair.

"The Sandaime would like to see you tomorrow."

Kushina stopped chewing, and swallowed down a strangled scream that scratched against her throat. She tried her best to clear it nonchalantly, raising a slightly worried brow. "T...the Sandaime? Why?"

Minoru shrugged. "He didn't really say. Just said something about wanting to show you around the village," he mumbled, taking another spoonful of rice.

Kushina nodded confusedly, and picked at the last couple of peas on her plate, knitting a brow. 'The Sandaime wants to give me a tour of Konoha?'

"I'll take you there tomorrow morning after breakfast, Yuuki will be coming too. If that's okay with you...?"

Kushina nodded, rubbing at the back of her neck. She replied rather quickly, "Yeah, yeah. That's fine, dattebane..."

Yuuki and Minoru smiled at Kushina, before starting another conversation, going on and on about his job and how it 'greatly impacts Konoha'.

Internally, the redhead scoffed. 'Isn't he just a carpenter?'

* * *

Kushina slid the door open to her new room, flicking the lights on and walking over to the small mirror on top of her dresser. Using Yuuki's old brush, much to the redhead's mild disgruntlement, she began combing through her vibrant red hair, a slow and methodic pace to her movements.

She set the brush down after a few moments, before opening one of the small drawers in her old, beat-down wooden dresser. New, yet bland clothes sat in the small drawer, looking back up at her, nicely folded and wrinkle-free. She took a small tank top and pair of shorts from the drawer and threw them on. Kushina folded her yellow kimono and fishnet stockings and under shirt, gently placing them on top of her dresser.

She sighed, plopping onto the plain, squeaky mattress. Minoru and Yuuki couldn't scrape up the money for a comforter or bed post, considering they were told of Kushina's impending arrival only a few days ago. Thus, she would simply have to make do with the large, bland, beige walls and secondhand furniture. There was a rather large window with a small, trapezoid shaped seat cushion in front of it with a couple of decorative pillows scattered across it. Dark, thick curtains hung before it, allowing small beams of the moon's light to enter her room.

She frowned at the window before rolling onto her side facing the wall. Her old room was much more.. interesting. It was filled with colorful items, dolls, her clan mark posters and awards from the Shinobi Academy back in Whirlpool. She had a soft, nice bed with warm sheets and soft cushions - very different from the stiff blankets and cardboard pillows she was now forced to lie upon every night .

Kushina grimaced, rolling her shoulders back. Well, at least it was better than sleeping on the cool, rocky ground. For the past month, Kushina had been sleeping on rocks, dirt and grass, using small blankets and huddling with the friendlier ANBU and orphans for warmth.

She gnawed at the inside of her cheek as her mind threw random memories from her past back up, unasked.

"I wish I was still in Whirlpool."

There. She had finally said it out loud.

She pouted quietly to herself, squirming underneath the uncomfortable sheets. Suddenly feeling angry, Kushina kicked in her bed, wanting to punch something, groaning in frustration when she ended up thrashing all of her covers off of the surface of her bed.

Stupid village, stupid war, stupid parents... Stupid, stupid, stupid...

Kushina felt tears prickle her eyes. She'd never felt this lost and frustrated in her entire existence. Everything she'd known, everyone she'd ever met in her entire life was gone to her now; cast aside in some faraway place.

Now, she was alone.

Kushina angrily swatted at the hot tears rolling down her face with a sniffle, drying her face off with some recovered sheets."Why did you guys leave me?" She mumbled, rubbing at her puffy eyes. "Why do I have to stay in this stupid village with these stupid people?" She stared intently at the ceiling, as if waiting for some sort of response.

Nothing came.

Kushina shakily inhaled before squeezing her eyes shut. But they snapped open again, thoughts dancing around her cramped little head.

With a swift roll, the girl kicked the scratchy sheets off herself again with an effervescent shove. She couldn't help but think of her future. 'What do I do now? What is my dream? What are my goals in this life? What will I do tomorrow?.. What would mom and dad want me to do?'

What would her older sister, Hokori, and older brother, Jojou, want her to do?..

Kushina dragged her hands down her face, pulling at her cheeks. 'Stop thinking about that, and go to sleep!' she willfully commanded herself, but it was no use.

She couldn't sleep. She couldn't even close her eyes, for God's sake. But she had to. The stupid Sandaime wanted to see her tomorrow morning for God knows what.

Kushina sighed at the thought of being in the Hokage's office. He'd probably try to enroll her in the Shinobi Academy. Or actually give her a tour of the place.

But something nagged at the back of her brain. She knew that he wouldn't ask for presence for reasons as trivial as those. No. Whatever it was, it had to be much, much more serious...

Rubbing at her (puffy) eyes, she turned back to the wall, pulling the blanket back up, a bit of tense nervousness taking root in her belly. Finally, after willing herself into exhaustion, she slipped into a deep, dreamless slumber, images of counted sheep whisking her away on their backs.

* * *

Kushina's eyes fluttered open as she heard small clinks of glass. She blinked the sleep out her swollen eyes before climbing out of bed, yawning as she stumbled her way across the room to her dresser. Kushina looked into the mirror, her reflection making a silly face at her bed head and the dark circles under her eyes. She grabbed her brush, clothes and a tiny towel in the bottom drawer before opening the simple wooden door.

As she exited the small bathroom, she heard loud crying and shouting from the kitchen. Rolling her eyes, she made her way toward the dining room. 'Better get this over with…'

Minoru sat at the far end of the table, newspaper in hand, while he simultaneously fed Kiko. Masaru smeared food across his face, trying to make his baby sister laugh. Instead, she kept crying, gurgling when her father tried to give her food. Yuuki, who stood behind the counter in the kitchen smiled tiredly at Kushina.

"Good morning, Kushina-chan," she muttered tiredly, barely suppressing a yawn as she began to pour piping hot water into three small teacups.

"Good morning, Yuuki-san," Kushina smiled, making her way toward the blonde. "Need any help?"

Yuuki nodded. "Can you please bring these to the table? I have to bring our plates."

Kushina took the tray of tea to the table, Yuuki following with the plates. They took their seats and began to eat, Yuuki and Minoru practically inhaling their food whole while Kushina took small sips of the miso soup. Mom's ramen would be better...

'No! Stop thinking about that. Stop-'

Minoru belched, interrupting Kushina's inner undulations, making Yuuki giggle. "Excuse me," he mumbled, smiling. Then, a spark of remembrance flashed behind his eyes, and he turned to his sibling with a small smile. "Yuuki will take you to the Academy after your meeting with Hokage-sama, Kushina. You were in the Whirlpool's academy, correct?"

Kushina nodded, setting down her tea. "Will I start tomorrow?"

Yuuki shook her head. "I think you'll be starting next week. They have to test and measure your skills before putting you into a class."

"Oh, okay." She took another few sips of her tea, finishing it off in silence.

Masaru pouted in defiance. "Mom, why can't I go to the Academy with Kushina?"

Before Yuuki could answer, his father chuckled. "You're not old enough yet, Masaru."

The boy huffed, crossing his arms against his chest. Yuuki shook her head, laughing. Kushina smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to do. She felt bad for being cautious and distant with her brother and his family, but… could they blame her? Time. She needed time if she was going to open herself up to another family. Certainly not so soon...

After cleaning her dishes, she makes her way to the living room. As Kushina slid the door open, Kiko stumbled after her.

Kushina couldn't help but sigh, her head slumping forward a bit. She was never good with babies. Whatever she did or said around them would always result in crying. No matter how hard Kushina tried to make them laugh- or at least smile, the baby's face would twist into a frown before crying.

Kiko laughed at her, offering a toy block. With a tiny smile, the redhead graciously accepted the small gift, honestly surprised that the baby wasn't crying. "Thank you, Kiko."

Kiko gurgled. "Kush.. Kusha!"

Kushina couldn't help but laugh at Kiko's attempt at saying her name. "No, Kiko. Ku-shi-na."

Kiko made a face. "Ku..shee AH!" She screamed, following the girl into the living room. She screeched to a halt when she saw Kushina putting her sandals on, moving to open the front door. With a small pout, the child waddled over and began to fiercely tug - well, as fiercely as a child could - at Kushina's yellow dress, frantically trying to get her to stay and play.

Kushina sighed a little. She didn't have time to be playing with a two year old. "I'm sorry, Kiko. But I have to–"

A loud rap on the door broke her chain of thought.

The soft pattering of feet echoed through the hallway, soon giving way to the form of Yuuki, trying desperately to wrap a blue kimono over her pajamas. With a confused frown, Kushina watched as the woman opened the door, immediately smiling nervously at whoever stood on the other side.

Curious, Kushina make her way to the sliding door of the living room, peeking her head through the small crack. She had to crane her neck to the side, just to see Yuuki and the door. Kiko tugged at her kimono again, agitating her slightly. She didn't have time for this-

"Ah, Usagi-san!" Yuuki announced enthusiastically, grabbing at the back of her neck in blatant nervousness. "Please, come in!"

With a grunt, a small woman around Minoru's age bursts in. The strange woman leaned forward and gave Yuuki an awkward hug, eyes brimming with boredom. "Good to see you too, Yuuki." She muttered, flipping her light purple hair over her shoulder. Yuuki's eye twitched, but her smile remained plastered on her face.

Kushina furrowed her brow, looking to her sister-in-law. There was obviously something between the two. A rivalry. Maybe a fight. Something. It hung in the air like a foul stench, and even Kiko seemed to be able to sense it, gripping at Kushina's clothes less in agitation, and more for comfort.

Usagi turned to the hallway mirror and smirked at her reflection, fussing with her hair slightly with a fingernail. "Where's Minoru?"

Kushina couldn't help but gag. She knew that tone. Hokori used it all the time when she spoke to her crush's girlfriend. Her sister would talk in a mocking, bittersweet voice, subtly throwing insults and threats to the other girl. Honestly, it was funny the first few times. But after a while, it became dull and repetitive. Usagi must have been using that tone for quite some time for it to remind her of Hokori.

Yuuki muttered something, closing the door. "He's getting ready."

The gripping presence beside Kushina nearly evaporated when the woman turned in her direction. The purple-haired woman grinned cheekily at the sight of the toddler, shoving her arms out in greeting."Kiko! Kiko, Aunt Usagi's here!"

With a pep in her step, the child giggled, running into the outstretched arms.

Kushina decided to take another peek, her hair falling to her side. Yuuki didn't seem to notice; she was still caught up in glaring daggers at the newest arrival behind her back. But Kiko, managing to twist her head around in Usagi's hug, cried with glee.

"Kushee-AH!"

Usagi looked up with a grimace, the baby's scream rumbling around her ears. Dark brown eyes locked with ashy violet, demanding answers. When none came, she spiraled around to Yuuki, eyebrow raised.

"Who's that?"

Yuuki jumped a little in surprise, honestly forgetting about their newest houseguest. "Oh! That there is Uzumaki Kushina, Minoru's little sister. She's staying with us." Yuuki emphasized 'little sister', smirking when Usagi's face twisted into a frown. But Usagi regained her composure, pinching Kiko's cheeks one more time before setting her down. She wiped her hands down on the sides of her legs, before smiling.

"Hi, I'm Hamisaki Usagi. Nice to meet you, Kushina."

Kushina gave a small smile in return.. "Nice to meet you, too."

Before Usagi could say anything else, Kushina heard the sound of a door opening down the hall. Not a moment later, Minoru meandered in, a small, confused smile adorning his face.

"Usagi, nice to see you again."

Usagi's smile widened into a bright grin. "Minoru-kun! How are you?"

It was then that Masaru entered the hallway, tossing a light jacket over his shirt as he did so. When he spotted the newcomer in the doorway, he simply rolled his eyes and made to leave the room again.

Minoru forced a smile. "I'm good. Uh, have you see seen Yuri-san today?"

Usagi squinted in confusion. "The old cabbage lady? Well.. I saw her son on my way here. He mentioned something about how she and her husband just left Konoha to trade with some small village way out in the back country. Why?"

Kushina's older brother sighed. "She was supposed to take care of the kids today." Minoru scratched at the back of his neck, murmuring, "Maybe Haruka could take care of them."

Usagi shook her head, still smiling. Kushina rolled her eyes. How can this woman keep smiling?

"No, no, Minoru-kun. I-I can take care of Kiko and Masaru and uh.. Kushina."

"Oh, would you?" Minoru asked appreciatively, gently pushing Masaru toward Usagi.

"Yeah, no problem."

"Thank you. I'll make it up to you somehow. Kushina's coming with us, so you'll only have to take care of these two."

With a nod, Usagi bent over to scoop up the excited toddler bumbling at her feet. "When will you all be back?"

Yuuki raised her brows, scrunching her face up. "Umm.. Around three o'clock." She turned her back to Usagi, slipping her sandals on in a practiced, smooth motion, Kushina and her brother following suit. Yuuki grabbed her keys from the small counter in the hall, and swung the door open, holding it out for the others. "Bye!"

Once Minoru closed the door behind them, Yuuki sighed in relief. "God, I can't stand her. I don't know why Kiko loves Usagi so much."

Kushina laughed a little, not exactly sure how to respond politely. Instead, she chose to simply nod in agreement. Usagi was kind of like carbon copy of Hokori. Always smiling, always laughing, but shrouded in a dark cloak of mystery. Hokori's bubbly and happy side, however, was genuine, unlike Usagi's. 'She seems fake,' Kushina thought to herself, narrowing her eyes as they settled on the pavement before them. 'I bet if Hokori was here, she'd be able to-

She shook the thoughts from her head. 'Stop it! You're doing it again!'

But she couldn't. As she trudged down the crowded streets of Konoha, following closely behind Yuuki and Minoru, the faces of her departed family manifested themselves all around her, trapping her in a pit of sickening reminiscence. They followed her on her journey, but were always just out of reach, fading into the cool autumn air. Kushina only watched them flicker in and out, through doorways and down alleys, all watching her.

"Kushina?"

Blinking, the girl turned to see Yuuki looking down on her, a small nervous frown on her face.

"What's wrong?"

Kushina shook her head. "It's nothing. I-I was just thinking." She gave Yuuki a reassuring smile - or something that could pass as one. She never was a very good actor.

The blonde nodded slowly, not wanting to pry. Her brother squeezed Yuuki's hand, smiling a little.

As the three walked deeper into the village, the great Hokage Monument became clearer and clearer. Three pairs of fiery bold eyes seemed to glare down on her, sending shivers down her spine. The three faces tilted their chins upward, giving Kushina wary looks, more intimidating in stone form than any other person she had ever met. The Hokages had a very protective and vigilant look to them. But why? What could they have possibly done to get the praise of many people, and get their faces carved into a mountain...?

"What is it this time?" A laugh disrupted her train of thought, causing her head to snap toward the sound. Her brother looked down at her with an amused smirk. Kushina chuckled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of her neck.

She bit her lip, pondering over whether she should tell her brother about her thoughts. Minoru is her brother, after all. And he seems to highly respect the Sandaime.

"I was just wondering.. What's so special about the Hokage?"

He raised a brow, his smirk widened into a grin. "Well, the Hokage is kind of like the parent of the village. They love and cherish us above all, protecting us from threats and enemies. Hell, they'd give their life just so that we can keep going."

His wife hummed in agreement. "The Hokage is also the strongest ninja in the Land of Fire. The other four great nations have their own Kages as well."

"The strongest ninja, huh?" Kushina murmured with furrowed brows. Tucking the thought into the back of her mind, she follows her siblings lead. They soon reached the wooded area of the village. Old, beautiful buildings and decoration such as stairs, gazebos and benches came into view. Colorful plants and crystal clear ponds were abundant, but spaced out, unlike the narrow busy streets near the center of the town.

"We're almost there." Her brother pointed to a red, oddly shaped building. The girl felt her stomach churn with unease. Stoic ANBU and jounins stood in defensive positions around the building, eyeing the trio as they got closer to the building.

An ANBU with a mask of rabbit noticed them. He made his way to the three, raising a hand.

"Hokage-sama wants to talk to Kushina alone."

Kushina widened her eyes, looking to her brother. Minoru blinked a few times, slowly nodding. "Alright. Kushina-chan, we'll wait out here for you, okay? If you don't see us, try to stay with Hokage-sama."

Kushina pursed her lips, nodding reluctantly. "Okay.."

With a gentle hand, the masked man led Kushina through the large door of the building, anxiety brewing in her gut all the while...

* * *

After navigating through throngs of diplomats, disgruntled secretaries, and legions of ANBU guards, the pair finally approached a large, seemingly simple oak door. The masked shinobi she was with cleared his throat softly and rapped on the surface three times, before calling out his intent.

"Uzumaki Kushina is here, Hokage-sama."

The sound of ruffling papers and closing drawers reverberated through the closed door, before a deep, rather raspy voice answered. "Please, come in."

The ANBU pushed the door open with a small click, before bowing slightly and disappearing, a haze of white mist replacing him. Kushina coughed as the smoke filled the air, waving her hand in front of her face to try and get a clear look inside the room.

A deep chuckle rumbled throughout the room. "Come in, Uzumaki Kushina. Would you please close the door?"

Kushina nervously did as she was told, before taking a small step forward. As the smoke cleared, a tanned man with deep wrinkles under his eyes came into view, comfortably sitting behind a dark wooden desk. He wore a red and white hat and robe, hiding most of his body under flowing fabric. Chestnut-brown eyes twinkled as they met violet-grey, and the old Sarutobi simply smiled gently as Kushina slowly made her way across the room.

Hiruzen watched the small girl timidly fidget with her kimono, tracing each and every intricate detail of the brown walls with her violet eyes.

"Please, sit."

Kushina slowly made her way toward one of the seats, biting at the inside of her cheek in apprehension as she slid down into the one closest to the Third Hokage..

For several tense moments, neither man nor child spoke a word; Hiruzen watching her every move in slight curiosity, Kushina trying to look anywhere but the man's eyes. Finally, after the large ornate clock on the wall chimed the quarter hour, the old man sighed and leaned forward in his chair, reaching for a file from one of his stacks of paper. He opened it up slowly, skimming through its contents for another few tense moments. After a minute or two, Kushina scratched at her neck, opening her mouth to start when he finally spoke.

"I'm assuming you're quite confused as to the reasons behind my summons, aren't you, young lady?"

Kushina nodded, knitting a brow at the old man. "But why–"

"All will be explained in time. I first have to finish some paperwork before we leave."

"Paperwork? Why would you call me over just to watch you do stupid paperwork?" The words tumbled out of the redhead's mouth before she could stop them.

The Hokage looked up from his paper, and for a minute, Kushina thought he would explode and lop off her head for such an insolent remark.

Or so she thought. Instead, he chuckled and shook his head, slamming a stamp across the bottom of the paper. "You remind me so much of her."

She blinked, dumbfounded. She felt as if his words came in through one ear, and out of the other. "I'm sorry?"

Hiruzen looked up, the corner of his lips lifting gently. "You remind me of your mother, Riko. What a funny child she was."

Kushina's heart fluttered, as if the entire room had been dropped into a vacuum. She took a deep breath, as if to confirm there was still air, her eyes searching Hiruzen's face. Was he lying? No, he couldn't be.. Why would the venerable Third Hokage lie about something like that? But then again, how can he possibly know her mother?

"Hokage-sama, y-you knew my mother?"

He smiled, signing a few scrolls. "Yes, I did. She was a very.. Well, she was sassy, to put it bluntly. And had a sharp tongue like you." Kushina blushed. "But she kind. Very clever and incredibly strong. She was one of our finest kunoichis. I honestly believe she could've made it as the Fourth Hokage."

Kushina frowned, leaning toward the man, intrigued. "Wait, 'our finest kunoichis'? What do you mean by, 'our'?"

Hiruzen raised a brow, setting his pen down. "She never told you?"

She shook her head, making a face. Was it not obvious?

"Your mother moved to Konoha as a child, as a result of several… personal issues. But she seemed to fit in, as her family and mine were very close friends." He paused in reminiscence, rising from his chair. "She accepted Konoha, and grew to love the village. After graduating from the Academy, Riko took it upon herself to become the first female Hokage. And I believed that. She was the only one to rival my three prized pupils." His eyes twinkled with mirth, as he turned to look at Kushina with a small wink. "Even if she only got to throw a few punches.

"But she eventually met your father, Hisashi, and abandoned the idea of becoming the Female Hokage. It was sad to see her give up her dream, but she was happy." He began to slowly meander towards the exit, fumbling with an ornate wooden pipe with his left hand. "Riko and Hisashi then married and moved to Whirlpool, and had you and your siblings."

The Sandaime stopped as he reached the door, grabbing at a couple of keys. He motioned his hand for Kushina to follow as he opened the door.

"Before–" He stopped, clearing his throat. "A couple of months ago, she sent me a letter, telling me about your... abilities."

Kushina squinted at him as he closed the door. "Abilities?"

He nodded, starting slowly. "Yes.. That is one of the reasons why I summoned you this morning. Your mother told me about the large amount of chakra you hold."

"Why would she tell you about my chakra?"

Walking down the building, Kushina could see the old man smile, before turning ahead once again, beginning to walk off slightly, motioning with one hand slightly for her to follow. "I'll explain when we get there."

Kushina groaned, slumping forward. Seriously? Was the man taunting her?

Hiruzen couldn't help but laugh. "I had a suspicion you wouldn't like that."

* * *

A pair of dark green eyes glistened in the darkness as they watched the Sandaime and the redhead descend down the stairs. An evil smile played across his lips, hidden completely from view by the recently acquired Rabbit mask.

Excitement began to bubble in the man's chest as the duo disappeared from view. He took his time as he followed the two down.

Things were finally about to get interesting…

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading! Please, go check out my marvelous beta, **EndoplasmicPanda.** His stories are amazing, and without him, _Falling_ would be dull and a mess of grammatical errors.

This was a little over 6k (not including this A/N), so it was kind of short.. But chapter two will be a bit longer. I'll try to reach 8-10k.

Please, tell me your thoughts on _Falling_ in a review! I'd love to hear your thoughts and advice on this story.

And thank you again! Chapter two should be up by Thanksgiving. Maybe a couple of days before the start of Thanksgiving break..


	2. Part of Chapter 2 (I am so sorry!)

**I AM SOO SORRY!** _Especially to those of you who followed and PMed me about Falling. I am continuing it. I never ever intended to abandon Falling and Fanfiction all together. It's just that life sorta got in the way. I really don't want to rant here, so if you wanna hear me rant, check out my profile lol._

 _I decided to post a small part of chapter 2. Unedited as I really did not want to bother **EndoplasmicPanda** as he's probably busy. I should finish chapter 2 by next Friday if I'm lucky. And chapter 3 should be finished by the third week of may unless you guys want chapters aroung 1-2k words. I'm kinda aiming for at least 8-10k.._

 _I know that this chapter might seem a bit slow but I really don't ant to rush on this. Chapter 3 and 4 will speed up just a bit as those chapters should dive a bit deeper into the plot.. Which reminds me, I have to change my crappy summary XD_

* * *

Falling

(Part of) Chapter Two

Fluorescent hues of red and orange beamed down on Kushina and Hiruzen, as they trudged down the old dirt path. Puffs of smoke slowly floated by as the Hokage bit down on his pipe again.

She turned her head, watching as the grey puffs slowly faded. Her head followed two small, white butterflies, they flapped their powerful wings as they glided by. Her bright eyes darted between trees and shrubs, insects and furry animals. They studied every move of the forest as it breathed.

Strange, neon colored insects buzzed around the wooded area. Birds chirped and fluttered their brilliant wings as racoons and squirrels hurriedly scurried through the trees, looking for a nice spot to bundle up in as winter steadily approached.

The crisp, cool air stung the redhead's flushed, scrunched up nose and sent goosebumps down her arms. Despite her disdain for cold weather, Kushina smiled slightly as she let the cool air nip and bite her at arms and cheeks until they were nearly red and numb. Her mother loved the cool weather. She thought that it was 'nice and refreshing', as it was rare for Whirlpool to have freezing temperatures. Kushina bit back a laugh as the image of her mother's surprised face of receiving an ocean breeze for winter instead of snow slowly came back to her.

But her small smile faltered, remembering her conversation with Hiruzen. Her mother was practically raised in Konoha, and the weather here seemed to be just perfect for the season. Maybe it wasn't 'nice and refreshing' to have cool weather. For her mother, it must've been more like nostalgia. Kushina puffed and squeezed her eyes shut as she reluctantly shoved the thoughts and memories into the corner of her brain. Now wasn't the time to think of that...

Opening her eyes, Kushina glanced back at the village and noticed that the Three Great Stone Faces slowly shrank as the Hokage led her deeper into the forest. Dark clouds loomed over the Great Stone Faces, slowly swallowing the sun. With furrowed brows, Kushina picked up her pace, trying to keep up with the old man.

"Hokage-sama, where are we going?" She asked, her flushed face scrunched in confusion.

The man turned his head to her, taking the pipe away from his lips as wisps of grey smoke made its way past Kushina and Hiruzen. "Kushina-chan, I will explain it to you when we get there."

'He completely avoided the question', she thought with a roll of her eyes. "Where is 'there'?"

He couldn't help but smile a bit as he turned his gaze back to the path ahead of them with a sigh. "Well, we're going to visit an old friend of mine."

Kushina's eye twitched before an exasperated sigh escaped her lips. "That was very helpful." She sarcastically bit back.

* * *

The tall, fluffy orange and red trees slowly faded as tall, vibrant green grass came into view. Pushing through the itchy grass, she tilted her head up to the sky. The sun seemed to be peering down on them through the scattered grey clouds. It gave them a fiery glare before hiding behind the fluffy, dark clouds. The wind had picked up, taunting her as it whipped her long, red wisps of hair around..

Looking back to the old man with squinted eyes, she couldn't help but wonder why the Hokage wanted to drag her along to see an 'old friend' in this kind of weather. Did it have something to do with her family and special chakra? Kushina bit her lip with a furrowed brow. What's so special about her chakra? As far as she knew, she had chakra– wind release, to be exact. She was fairly decent as in controlling and using her chakra. What had her mother noticed that she did not?

Thoughts invaded her mind as she chewed at the insides of her cheek. Is there something wrong with her chakra? Was there some kind of damage or fluke that caused her late mother to worry to the point where she called the Hokage for help? Were they taking her to some sort of doctor? Or–

Kushina's thoughts came to an abrupt halt, her face smushed against a smooth surface. With a small groan, she stumbled back, rubbing at her nose with a frown. The old man laughed as she frowned back, huffing while she massaged her nose. "What the heck?"

Hiruzen swallowed his laughter and regained his composure. "It is a barrier," he raised a hand, placing it on what seemed like nothing but air. Once his hand fell flat against nothing, small ripples stretched from his place, running against the smooth, invisible surface.

"Try it." He looked to her with a small gleam of amusement in his dark eyes.

Tilting her head to the side with squinted eyes, the barrier caught the sun's light, giving it a little shimmer. The redhead slowly nodded, a small smile worked it's way onto her face. Facing the barrier, she raised her hand as Hiruzen did. Slowly, she pressed her fingertips against a cool, smooth surface. Raising her hands, she gave the old man a glance, who nodded, encouraging her. She looked back, balling up her hand as she forcefully slammed it against the barrier, sending small jolts up her arm. There was a loud bang as shock waves rippled throughout the invisible wall. Kushina's smile grew in delight, a small laugh left her lips as she tapped against the barrier.

"This is amazing!" She murmured, her eyes violet eyes crinkling with glee, letting her fingertips slowly slide down the polished surface. "How– what type of ninjutsu is this?"

The Hokage took his hand from the barrier with a cough. "Well, it is not exactly a ninjutsu. I guess it is a combination of ninjutsu and fuinjutsu, called the Adamantine Sealing Chains, passed down from Ashina Uzumaki."

Fuinjutsu? Would that mean... The world around her seemed to blur, the noises of the outside world slowly faded into buzzes and murmurs. Her head spun as stars shimmered and danced in her vision. She slowly blinked, looking to Hiruzen. His lips curved into a knowing smile, nodding as if had he heard her thoughts.

"H-Hokage-sama, who is this 'old friend'?"

Emotions flickered through his dark eyes before he looked into her dazed, ashy violets. "Mito Uzumaki, the First Hokage's wife."

Her thin, red eyebrows curved in astonishment. Hashirama Senju's wife? She was the 'old friend' Hiruzen wanted her to meet? Her eyes traveled along the invisible, dome-like walls to see the small twinkle of the soft, transparent orange chains. But why?

Kushina opened her mouth to say something, but it snapped shut. What was she supposed to say? 'Okay'? 'Oh, cool'? No, she couldn't say those things. She couldn't say anything. The girl was at a loss for words as her brain crackled and fried.

She looked away from the old geezer, taking in a deep breath as she rubbed at the back of her neck. The redhead hated being so lost. She hated the way her head had to twist and turn its gears just to wrap around all of these words that wiggled their way through her ears. Her nails dug into her neck. Kushina wanted to scream, she wanted let go an ear-splitting shriek and just cry.. She wanted to kick and break something, slap somebody. She just wanted to let everything out. Letting only a small portion of her thoughts and emotions out at night only seemed to make the whole ordeal worse. But she can't be lost. Not now, not ever.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading, and sorry for everything again. I just wanted to update to let you guys that I'm (barely) alive lol. Sorry again. And hopefully the rest of chapter 2 and half of chapter 3 will be done by next week.. I can't promise anything though._

 _Let me know what you thought of it! Constructive criticism is welcomed._

 _(Sorry again!)_


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